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300 (film)
300 is a 2006 American low-fantasy epic war film based on the 1998 comic series of the same name by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley. Both are fictionalized retellings of the Battle of Thermopylae within the Persian Wars. The film was directed by Zack Snyder, while Miller served as executive producer and consultant. It was filmed mostly with a super-imposition chroma key technique, to help replicate the imagery of the original comic book. The plot revolves around King Leonidas (Gerard Butler), who leads 300 Spartans into battle against the Persian "God-King"Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and his invading army of more than 300,000 soldiers. As the battle rages, Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey) attempts to rally support in Sparta for her husband. The story is framed by a voice-over narrative by the Spartan soldier Dilios (David Wenham). Through this narrative technique, various fantastical creatures are introduced, placing 300''within the genre of historical fantasy. ''300 was released in both conventional and IMAX theaters in the United States on March 9, 2007, and on DVD, Blu-rayDisc, and HD DVD on July 31, 2007. The film received mixed reviews, including acclaim for its original visuals and style, but criticism for favoring visuals over depiction of Persian people, which characterization some deemed racist or Iranophobic. However, the film was a box office success, grossing over $450 million, and the film's opening was the 24th-largest in box office history at the time. A sequel, titled Rise of an Empire, based on Miller's previously unpublished graphic novel prequel''Xerxes'', was released on March 7, 2014. Cast * Gerard Butler as Leonidas, King of Sparta. * David Wenham as Dilios, narrator and Spartansoldier. * Lena Headey as Queen Gorgo, Queen of Sparta (Gorgo has a larger role in the film than she does in the comic book, where she only appears in the beginning).5 * Giovanni Cimmino as Pleistarchus, son of Leonidas and Gorgo (Pleistarchus does not feature in the comic book).5 * Dominic West as Theron, a fictional corrupt Spartan politician (Theron is not featured in the comic book).5 * Vincent Regan as Captain Artemis, Leonidas' loyal captain and friend. * Tom Wisdom as Astinos, Captain Artemis' eldest son. In the film Astinos has a constant presence until he dies. In the comic book Astinos is only mentioned when he dies.5 * Andrew Pleavin as Daxos, an Arcadian leader who joins forces with Leonidas. * Andrew Tiernan as Ephialtes, a deformed Spartan outcast and traitor. * Rodrigo Santoro as King Xerxes, The powerful and ruthless god-like supreme king of Persia. * Stephen McHattie as The Loyalist, a loyal Spartan politician. * Michael Fassbender as Stelios, a young, spirited and highly skilled Spartan soldier. * Peter Mensah as a Persian messenger who gets kicked into the well by Leonidas. * Kelly Craig as Pythia, an Oracle to the Ephors. * Tyler Neitzel as young Leonidas. * Robert Maillet as Über Immortal (giant), a muscular and deranged Immortal who battles Leonidas during the Immortal fight. * Patrick Sabongui as the Persian General who tries to get Leonidas to comply at the end of the battle. * Leon Laderach as Executioner, a hulking, clawed man who executes men who have displeased Xerxes. * Tyrone Benskin as the whip-wielding Persian Emissary. External links * 300 on IMDb Category:2006 films Category:2000s action films Category:2000s adventure films Category:2000s fantasy films Category:2000s war films Category:American action films Category:American epic films Category:American war films Category:American fantasy adventure films Category:American films Category:Battle of Thermopylae Category:Classical war films Category:Cruel and Unusual Films films Category:English-language films Category:Films about elephants Category:Films based on works by Frank Miller Category:Films based on Dark Horse Comics Category:Films directed by Zack Snyder Category:Films produced by Thomas Tull Category:Films set in ancient Greece Category:Films set in the 5th century BC Category:Films shot in Los Angeles Category:Films shot in Montreal Category:Films shot in Bulgaria Category:IMAX films Category:Internet memes Category:Legendary Pictures films Category:Live-action films based on comics Category:War epic films Category:Warner Bros. films Category:Iranophobia in film Category:Siege films Category:Fiction with unreliable narrators Category:Films about giants